The Seattle Seahawks initially targeted Thanksgivingfor Percy Harvin's return, but it's looking more and more like he'll be catching passes long before the turkey is cooked.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the dynamic wide receiver is scheduled to begin practicing next week, according to a team source.
Harvin's rehab from August hip surgery has been so rapid that a source with knowledge of his rehab tells Rapoport that there's a chance the receiver will return to game action on Monday Night Football versus the Rams in Week 8.
NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access Kickoff" that the Seahawks might be more cautious than Harvin hopes.
The Seahawks are "looking at the long game," Silver said. "They know when Percy Harvin comes back he'll give that offense a boost simply as a decoy, let alone as a threat. However, he's never practiced with them, he's not familiar with their offense, they'd like him to practice for a while. Maybe that Monday night game on Dec. 2 against the Saints coming off the bye, would be a more realistic date from the team's perspective."
"He's getting really close," coach Pete Carroll said Monday, telling reporters that Harvin "ran well last week and ran well in pregame."
Harvin's impending return bodes well for a Seahawks offense with big plans for the former Minnesota Vikings playmaker.
Seattle spent plenty of time in the offseason installing plays for Harvin before he was lost to surgery. Those wrinkles will be unleashed upon his return, and it will be fascinating to watch what Harvin's presence does for Russell Wilson and a team we already consider the most talented in the NFC.
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